It is known from Journal of Molecular Catalysis 14 (1982) 113-120 that an alpha-olefin, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and carbon monoxide react in the presence of palladium-phosphine mixtures with formation of ketones, monoalkanoic acids and esters thereof, without formation of diesters of alkanedioic acids.
It is an object of the present invention to prepare diesters of alkanedioic acids in a high yield.